National Haiku Poetry Day

Quick Facts

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2024 Date	April 17, 2024
2025 Date	April 17, 2025

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National Haiku Poetry Day in 2024

Wednesday, Apr 17

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National Haiku Poetry Day seeks to celebrate Haiku poetry. Haiku is a form of poetry originating from 17th century Japan. It is traditionally a three-line poem with seventeen syllables broken down into a 5-7-5 structure. Haikus typically emphasize simplicity, intensity, and direct expression. This day aims to raise awareness about the joys of Haiku. It encourages poets of all levels to read, write, and share their poetry. This day consists of public events including readings, exhibitions, and competitions.

National Haiku Poetry Day was established in 2012 by the Haiku Foundation. It is observed annually on April 17th.

Facts about National Haiku Poetry Day

The term haiku comes from the first part of the word haikai, and the second part of the word hokku. Haikai is a form of poetry called renga and hokku describes the beginning of it.
The original Haiku form focused on themes revolving around descriptions of nature. Popular themes were those describing the seasons.
One of the earliest Haiku poets was Matsuo Bashō. In the 1670s, he was able to turn haiku poetry into a more refined art form by incorporating his own experiences. As he traveled throughout Japan, Bashō used different aspects of the country as the subject for his verses. He was able to reach a large audience and eventually made his form of haiku poetry one of the most popular in Japan.